Make Your Kitchen "Green"

It’s a common misconception that environmentally friendly kitchens need to be expensive or drab. If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen but also want to minimize your future energy costs and environmental impact, there are several steps you can take. First, if you’re going to purchase new appliances, look for ones that carry the Energy Star logo. These are appliances that have been certified by the Department of Energy and the EPA to be some of the most energy-efficient appliances on the market. Second, plan your new kitchen to utilize as much natural light as possible. Think about installing skylights or large windows. Finally, you may want to consider using a material for your project that is either recycled or highly sustainable. Think about bamboo, which is sustainably produced; wheat board, which is a recycled by-product of the farming industry; or stainless steel, which contains a high percentage of recycled material and is recyclable itself, should you decide to remodel again.